0637 Associations Between Sleep Quality and Child Behavioral Problems, a Longitudinal Analysis

Abstract Introduction Internalizing and externalizing behaviors are important mental health outcomes in children. symptoms characterized by a disturbance mood or emotion. Symptoms include loneliness, sadness, anxiety, rumination, depression. Externalizing that aversive to others experienced other people. aggression, hyperactivity, property destruction, losing one’s temper. This longitudinal analysis examined how children’s sleep quality related their internalizing behaviors. Methods 246 Children (n = at T1, n 196 T2, 151 T3), with mean age of 9.9 (SD 1.4) time one, participated study on substance use. Sleep was measured the Adolescent Wake Scale (range 1-6); higher scores represent better quality. Child behavior problems were using Childhood Behavior Checklist; indicate levels behavioral problems. The associations between quality, T3 examined. One year separated each time-point. Data analyzed structural equation modeling. Latent variables internalizing, created from observed measurements three time-points. regressed Results model indicated an excellent fit data (χ2 21.94, p 0.46; CFI 1.00; TLI RMSEA 0.00). All loaded significantly onto respective latent variables, externalizing, (p < 0.001). variable predicted both (b -0.34, se 0.09, 0.001) -0.31, 0.08, Conclusion These results children have fewer suggests improving could improve Alternatively, may Future research should examine directionality this relationship. also test if interventions child Support (if any) NIH Grant R01 AA020364